Movies: Past, present and future

Warner Bros. campaigned heavily for “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” with hopes that the final installment in the eight-movie series could get some awards attention in best picture and best adapted screenplay categories. But the Oscar nominations announcement revealed Tuesday morning that the fantasy film would only get attention in technical and craft categories.

The movie, based on the second half of J.K. Rowling’s seventh book in her beloved series, received Oscar nominations for visual effects, makeup and art direction.

“It’s a shame it didn’t get more nominations in categories like best picture,” said Tim Burke, one of the filmmakers sharing the visual effects nomination. “It’s difficult to know quite why ['Harry Potter' films] are often shunned by the academy and especially in the U.K. -– where it’s homegrown –- with the BAFTAs. Maybe it’s negative response to the commercialism, that these are very successful films at the box office that puts people off.”

Burke said he was still “absolutely thrilled” to learn about his nomination when he saw several texts from friends and family from London upon waking up in his Los Angeles hotel room. The visual effects artist is currently in L.A. working with Disney on a project in development.

Burke, who supervised visual effects on all eight “Harry Potter” movies, earned Oscar visual effects nominations for two other films in the franchise. He won the award in 2001 for “Gladiator.”

Despite any lingering disappointment at “Harry Potter’s” snubs in other categories, Burke noted there’s still cause for plenty of butterbeers and fire whiskeys -– or at least the Muggle alternatives.

“There will be a few drinks when I get back to London with my crew,” Burke said. “We’ll have a little toast to the success of ‘Harry Potter.’”

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday that it will give this year's Gordon E. Sawyer Award to Douglas Trumbull, the veteran visual effects artist and director who worked on such films as "2001: A Space Odyssey;" "The Andromeda Strain"; "Silent Running," which he also directed"; and the 2011 film "The Tree of Life."

Trumbull has earned three Oscar nominations for visual effects and in 1992 earned a Scientific and Engineering Award.

The Gordon E. Sawyer Award is given to an "individual in the motion picture industry whose technological contributions have brought credit to the industry."

Trumbull will receive the award Feb. 11 at the scientific and technical presentation at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday afternoon that 10 films remain in contention for the visual effects Academy Award. They are: "Captain America: The First Avenger," "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2," "Hugo," "Mission: Impossible –- Ghost Protocol," "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," "Real Steel," "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," "The Tree of Life" and "X-Men: First Class."

The entire membership of the visual effects branch of the academy will be able to see 10-minute excerpts from the films on Jan. 19. After the screenings, these members will vote to nominate five films for the 84th annual Academy Award.

The Oscar nominations will be announced on Jan. 24; the awards will be handed out during a live telecast on ABC on Feb. 26 at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland.